ALL OF WHAT FOLLOWS is predicated on the ruling that runners, elites or relay participants, will be allowed to be closer than six feet from fellow competitors. If not, then there won’t be a race. It would be impractical to require real social distancing for participants. It would also be impractical that masks be mandatory for runners. There are different academic opinions on how the virus might be spread in the air by hard-breathing athletes and whether, for safety, runners would require something more like a 30 foot separation from other competitors, and spectators, drink table volunteers, etc.
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For obvious reasons, conceiving of a Boston Marathon event during the pandemic would - should - shove all conventional thought out the window. Just as comprehension that a field of 30,000 or so would have to be disallowed, so there would have to be a fundamental acceptance by the organizers that the almighty dollar bottom line would have to be millions? short of normal. Can a race financially be arranged? Hopefully, yes, and maybe it would require an infusion of money from Boston, Brookline, Newton, Framingham, etc., governments (but I'm not in the know, so arranging for this might be much harder than I can imagine). Could it be arranged in the short term, for September 14th (the stated target date at this time), for example? I don’t know, but organizers have a way of pulling off seemingly impossible assignments.
Yes, some revenue would be important, and it could still be a sure result (I don't know...after, say, securing an ESPN contract), but the most important goal would be to hold some sort of official race. An elite field would stir general interest, and a host of elite runners presumably would flock to Boston for a chance, despite any personal concerns of infection. Maybe, given the unique constraints brought about due to the pandemic, elites would not be offered funny money to participate.
I still imagine that many elites – possibly not nearly as many truly elite runners as in a normal year – would still want a shot at bagging a Boston win. There would still be undeniable prestige in winning the Boston Marathon. Look at Yuki Kawauchi, who won in 2019 when he would not have likely stood a chance, had the weather been more favorable. Still, forever and ever, he is a Boston Marathon champ. Even without a monetary reward equal to Yuki’s, I am guessing that there would be plenty of elite men who dream of winning Boston, be it in 2:03:02 (Geoffrey Mutai’s record, 2011) or 2:15:58 (Yuki’s winning time). And plenty of elite women who would love to be champ, whether in 2:19:59 (Buzunesh Deba, 2014) or 2:39:54 (Desi Linden’s 2019 winning time in the horrible conditions).
A relay competition would tug at the heartstrings of viewers, listeners, and readers. Who can deny the significance and selflessness of medical professionals during this crisis? I certainly am humbled by the noble efforts of people who think of the welfare of others, despite potential risks to themselves - and their families when they go home. The issue I have with Tony's proposal is the fact that medical professionals are not the only ones who put their own safety on the line in this ongoing pandemic horror. Thus, I'd like to see others, like first responders and even grocery store workers, added to the relay.
Naturally, choosing entrants could not be fair. There could be no trials to pick the relay participants. So be it! And who cares if the times would be less than relay teams could muster if this were a regular event? It's the spotlight upon what these folks are doing, day after day, while most of us hide safely at home, which would be most important, and most inspiring to outsiders looking in.
Any team would still be comprised of real athletes whose training and racing are serious, even if they don’t hold a candle to the cream of the crop elites in terms of talent. Nobody would want to look foolish out there - or be allowed to - in such an important event.
The relay exchanges could be set up so that there is no direct handoff, which would otherwise violate the six-foot rule.
I think it would be relatively easy to screen the relay participants to ensure that those who race really are "in the trenches" regarding COVID-19. In other words, screening out, say, an administrator who works from home would be essential. And relatively easy - I think.
Admittedly, I don't know the realities of successfully planning a unique event for this upcoming September 14th, but I imagine it could be done. As in every aspect of our lives these days, it would be up to the general public to abide by the rules of social distancing in doing their part to allow the race to take place.
Fingers crossed! Some form of the prestigious Boston Marathon, if it could materialize safely, would be inspiring to me.
To those stick-in-the-muds who sneer at the thought of any substitute for the real 30,000-plus-entry race, please continue your sneering confined to home, because nobody wants to catch whatever ailment brings you down.